Bye Bye Drain

Sandy and Rod returned from Houston tonight. Here's her update:

"Praising God for safe travels to Houston.  MD Anderson labs and scans were all good.  Cancer marker down.  Scan showed no evidence of growth or spread for the third time in a row!   Oncologist said, "I think I am ready to declare that the cancer in the tumor is dead."  She used the word "remission" again!  No treatment warranted.

After viewing the situation with the bile ducts during the procedure, Houston gastroenterologist determined that poly stents would be better for me than metal stents.   He wants me to return in March for yet another stent exchange and a biopsy due to questionable tissue he saw.  

Best part of the procedure is that I no longer have the drain!  That was removed and a poly stent inserted.  YEA!  

A  heart full of gratitude to everyone who prays for me and encourages me in so many ways.  Still trusting God to work all of this out for HIS GLORY!

Merry Christmas!"

Out with the plastic

Sandy returns to MD Anderson next week to have the plastic stent removed and two metal stents inserted. Please pray for safe travels, an enjoyable trip, and for the procedure(s) to go well.

Mixed bag from Houston

Update from Sandy:

"This week's MD Anderson trip resulted in a mixed bag of answers. Some key indicators improved; some were not favorable.  The biggest and best news: Imaging revealed no evidence of cancer growing or spreading! That's super good news! I don't need to start back on chemo...extending the chemo vacation is a giant PLUS! The existing malignant tumor was found to be without avidity. (That's a new word for me - it essentially means that the tumor has no 'energy' or 'enthusiasm.' I applaud unenthusiastic tumors!)

Because of some questionable indicators from yesterday's tests, I am going back to MDACC in December for repeated testing. The next day, a Houston GI will remove the plastic drain and stent and replace them with two metal stents. That procedure will be done at St Luke's Hospital in Houston. The expected outcome of this procedure is to reduce - maybe even eliminate - trips to the ER due to infections. And the metal stents should never need to be exchanged. Won't that be an early Christmas gift!?!

May we approach all we do with AVIDITY for the Lord!

Ephesians 6:7 (NLT) 'Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.'

Thank you for your love, encouragement and prayers."

A friend asked how she can help Sandy during this time. I told her that her prayers are vitally important. When you know someone is praying for you, the enemy can't catch you with the lie that you're alone. Knowing that friends and family are lifting Sandy up is very comforting. Don't ever minimize the role of prayer.

Sandy is very thankful that both of her new grandsons were born prior to her Houston trip. She was able to give each of them a bath...one of her favorite jobs as grandma. She's thankful for the mild weather we've been having. And she'd thankful for each of you, and prays for your encouragement, peace, and salvation.

*UPDATE
Sandy isn't feeling the greatest. Her drain isn't working properly, so her fever is up again. Please pray this can be resolved without an ER, ICU, or any other set of letters that indicate a hospital stay.

When Good Isn't Best

Sandy fought a fever and discomfort for several days before finally being admitted to Wesley Wednesday evening. We fully expected her to stay the "typical" 24 hours and then be released to carry on with normal activities. She had classes scheduled for Friday, after all, followed by an event at church. Saturday included an event scheduled with Rod...one that included delicious homemade cobbler and ice cream. All of these things are, arguably, good. There was no reason to think she ought not to carry out these plans!

However, good isn't always best. God alone knows what is best, and in this case that included an extended hospital stay. Sandy's lab results indicated that she was sicker than she realized or first presented. She has been given several doses of various antibiotics, an IV iron drip each day, a test to check for blockages, and finally, today, a new stent. The drain she already had in place was taking care of about 75% of the need, but over the past few weeks, the missing 25% built up and brought us where we are today. Today's stent was smaller than expected due to either scar tissue or the tumor. Of course we'd prefer that the problem is scar tissue; perhaps the next TX trip will reveal more in this area. 

Right now she is resting, working on hanging on to a positive outlook, continuing to connect with and invest in the nurses, doctors, and staff, and trying to come up with an endearing name for the oxygen monitor that is, honestly, annoying :)

She thanks you for your prayers. The latest goal is to be dismissed tomorrow early evening. Oh, and to be allowed to have more than clear liquids! ...Like the homemade cobbler mentioned earlier!

God's way is the best way, whether or not we see it or believe it or understand it. We just have to lean in, look for the good, and trust that everything is proceeding as it is supposed to.

Success!

Today's procedure resulted in the successful removal of the stuck stent. A new drain was put in, which will handle the jobs of both the previous drain and the stent. This is good news - hopefully long term good news. In the short term, however, Sandy has some recovering to do. The procedure was more invasive, more rough, and will require more healing than her previous exchanges. She had to stay overnight at the hospital, which really disappoints her, largely because of missing classes and observations with students on Friday. She is thankful for colleagues who cover for her and for flexibility of those affected by this change. She is also very thankful for her medical team, including one doctor who checked in on her just because he cares, even though he did not have hands-on involvement with today's procedure. And of course she is thankful for all of the prayers and kind words from each of you. We're a community of people who take turns holding each other up in times of need and rejoicing with each other in times of joy. God is good...all the time!

Stubborn Stent Still Stuck

Many of you have talked to Sandy in the past several days or even weeks, and know that her latest stent exchange did not go well. Basically, it didn't happen because the doctor was unable to remove the stent in order to replace it. A second attempt, made last week, was also unsuccessful. The current plan is for her to have a third attempt to dislodge the stent next week. There is talk of switching to a more permanent metal stent during her next trip to MD Anderson. Please pray for wisdom for all involved, for physical comfort and rest for Sandy, and for the stent to be removed safely and easily, well before any problems or infections could set in.

Her first week of school went well, though she is ready for a weekend of rest...but we all know resting is not her strength! She is thankful for the ability to continue the vast majority of her activities and is slowly becoming better at accepting her limitations and setting boundaries. She wants things to be as normal as possible, and appreciates opportunities to bless others especially in their times of need. Sometimes being allowed to help others is wonderful medicine!

Unprecedented news

At Sandy's appointment at MD Anderson this morning, she was told that everything is stable. Her doctor reminded her that in 2014, she (Sandy) was told that this kind of cancer is never cured and never goes into remission. However, the doctor then said that it appears that Sandy's cancer IS in remission! Aren't we ever so thankful that God is not limited by even the most advanced technology or the most experienced and intelligent doctors? Sandy will continue the break from chemo and return for the next round of scans and tests in October. Please join us in praising God for this news that is as we had hoped.

Sandy has a "routine" drain exchange tomorrow back in KS. She has yet to undergo a drain exchange without following it up with a trip to the ER/ICU due to extensive infection. Please pray that this time is different, and that her body handles the procedure without complication. Throughout all of this, she has developed positive relationships with numerous hospital staff, to the point that she remembers their names and stories when they come into her room. That is likely one of the hidden blessings of this whole ordeal - a new group of people to be exposed to the grace, mercy, comfort, and power of God.

Look for the good in your day - it really is there. Philippians 4:8 tells us to think on things that are true. However, it also says to think on things that are excellent, admirable, and praiseworthy. While our difficult situations are true, by only dwelling on the hard parts, we are missing out on the whole picture. It reminds me of many of the Psalms, which begin with the hard details of life, then have the small but critical word "but,"signaling the switch into the still true but also positive, promises of God. Yes, Sandy has been battling cancer for three years. Yes, she has landed in the ICU over and over again. Yes, her health has been compromised, energy depleted, side effects experienced. All of that is true. But it's not the whole story. She has grown closer to the Lord, had opportunities to share Him with people who may otherwise not have had ears to hear, been gratefully humbled by the prayers of countless people, and seen His provision in multiple ways. All of that is true.

Thank you for your continued prayer and support.

Home again

Sandy's back home! She had a great team of doctors and nurses during her stay at Wesley. They agreed to let her go home this evening, which allows her to give her final exam tomorrow morning. Few people are excited about not missing a final...Sandy is one of them :)

She'll be on antibiotics for a few weeks to combat the bacteria that have caused this latest set of problems. She'll continue to feel better as the medicines work in her system.  Each of these episodes is a big deal, even though there have been so many by this point that they feel somewhat routine. Sometimes it's good to have a new set of eyes on her case to remind us that while she is a walking miracle, we're not out of the woods by any means. Either way, we're thankful for another positive outcome.

Thanks for your continued prayers!

Bed and Breakfast...kind of.

Sandy had a drain exchange the day after returning from Texas in March. Five days later it was blocked, so she had another one put in. 22 days later it, too, was blocked, so she had yet another drain exchange. That brings us to this weekend...while we always hope she feels great after an exchange, all too often she ends up with a high fever and infection. Today (Saturday) she progressively felt worse and worse. So she's back at Wesley, at least overnight. Please pray for her healing, for cooperative insurance people, and for her team of doctors to figure out a solution to this recurring problem.

Vacation time

Sandy's trip to MD Anderson this week was about as good as it gets. Her tests came back "unremarkable," which is absolutely remarkable! The doctor recommended Sandy take the next three months as a chemo vacation, returning in June to do the normal 3 month tests and go from there. She'll likely continue to have regular labwork taken here in town at the Cancer Center to keep tabs on everything, and she'll have drains and stents replaced as "usual." In fact, the day after returning from TX, she had a scheduled stent exchange. She doesn't feel super right now, but that's somewhat to be expected after a long trip and a procedure. We're all very thankful for a great report, and looking forward to her body having a chance to recover a bit from all these months of chemo. We know others who have not received positive news this week, and we are reminded that this whole thing is God's story...He alone knows the purposes He is accomplishing and how He is bringing good out of each situation. If it's not yet good, it's not yet done!

On the mend

Sandy returned home this afternoon! She had a night of not-so-bad rest and a day of great nurses.

The five different types of bacteria that grew from her cultures are still in the process of being fully identified, and she will be going to the doctor on Friday to learn which antibiotics will be most effective.

She's headed back to class and is so thankful to be back to normal...whatever that means!

As always, thanks for the prayers, cards, phone calls and texts, visits, and well wishes.

Sandy and her medical team are throwing around some questions and ideas about how to prevent some of these complications; prayers for wisdom would be wonderful.

The next thing on the calendar is Houston toward the end of March.  Hopefully things will be pretty uneventful between now and then!

Drain #10

Sandy began experiencing some issues with her drain last week. On Monday, doctors determined she needed a new drain, but weren't able to work her in. So Tuesday afternoon she went to St Joe for drain #10. Despite some challenging experiences and people, Sandy was encouraged by a conversation with a kind and compassionate nurse who asked about Sandy's journey. God continues to open doors, letting her see at least a small piece of His good that He promises to work out of all situations.

Shortly after the new drain was in place, Sandy's fever spiked. By this point, we all know what that means...work quickly, start IV antibiotics, monitor closely. And they did.  Something is still not quite right with the new drain, however, and she is spending the evening at the hospital.  She anticipates receiving some answers on Wednesday.

As usual, she is most concerned about missing class on Wednesday, and not following procedure for procuring her substitutes. All is well, but not to her. :)

She has had to take her thoughts captive many times over the past few days, choosing to dwell on things that are not only true, but also praiseworthy. We can either live in fear or in love. Which will you choose?

Please pray that the problems are quickly and painlessly resolved, for the medical team to have wisdom and compassion, and for Sandy to continue recognizing invitations from God to share His story of her life with those she meets. It wouldn't hurt her feelings if you also pray that the IV in her hand can be removed asap! And while we're at it, that tomorrow morning's coffee arrives promptly and tastes delicious :)